How to use your gifts to help others

F is a Yorkshire lad who served in the British Army. After leaving the forces, he decided to use his skills to help others. He went to Ukraine with a friend, bringing medical supplies and providing assistance to the sick and homeless. The story highlights the importance of using our gifts to make a difference in the world. We should list our gifts and find ways to use them to help others, as it brings meaning and purpose to our lives. Hello, Jeremy Deeds here, and welcome to The Creative Change Insight for the 1st of February 2023. How to find meaning by using your gifts to help others. F, sorry, real names to be avoided, is helping the sick, wounded and homeless in Ukraine. He is a Yorkshire lad, the son of nearby friends, and last week his mum told me his story. After leaving college, F joined the British Army and served in some of the world's hotspots. He recently pulled out from the forces and thought about what to do next. F started by creating an inventory of his considerable skills, which included leadership and organisational skills. In practical terms, F could drive large vehicles, was a trained paramedic, had experienced living and working in hostile environments, and had the gift of a gab. Putting gifts to good use. Ukraine was the obvious place to put his gifts to good use. His enthusiasm and eloquence helped him start the ball rolling, and he persuaded a friend to join him. Then he went on the scrounge for a truck, medical equipment and other supplies. Finally, with all ready, he and his companion drove to Ukraine and started to provide what help they could. They are still there. We all have gifts, and if sometimes they might not seem as attractive as those of the people we hear about on the news, they can make a difference. Listening to a neighbour's worries may not seem as important as helping the wounded in Ukraine, but it is. Using your gifts to make life more bearable for others, even in the slightest way, is an essential element of humanity and not to be disparaged. List your gifts. Sometimes we are so focused on our work and life, we forget about our gifts and the benefits they could bring to the world. F set an excellent example by drawing up an inventory of his gifts and then deciding how best to use them, and it's an example worth following. As Covid took hold in 2020, I recall how I looked at the skills I could use to support our local village community. Our newsletter and virtual village group sprang out of this perusal of the skills I used in my business. The gifts you have to offer are an excellent place to start when deciding how to lead a life of meaning and purpose by making a difference to others.